Collating machine



Jan. 29, 1929. y

\ E. W. BELLUCHE COLLATING MACHINE Filed Jan. 26, 1928 5 Sh'eets-Sheet l "mmh man"

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E. W. BELLUCHE COLLATING MACHINE Filed Jan- 26. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jam 29u QQQ 3976330042? E. W. BELLUGHE COLLATI NG MACHINE Filed Jan. 2e 1928 5 smeus-sneeu- 5 un Hum" M55/Im@ .91.. 4, A t @M 0 w ,H o .n C 7 Q v U 1 .Tv Wg. m @En s www, 5 nl; m j E@ .EE8 N2 ,www WAS, LM2 E e B m m u J .wn wm E F Jan. 29, 1929.

Jan. 29, 1929.-

E. W. BELLUCHE COLLATING MACHINE' 5 sheets-sheet 5 Filed Jan. 26, 1928 g1 Jg J? @www E/mgf WFM/UML.

Patented Jan. 29, 1929..

ELMER W. BELLUCHE, F RACINE, 'WISCONSIN'.-

COLLATING MACHINE.

.Application led January 26, 1928. Serial No. 249,682.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in collating machines and has as an object the provision of al device of this character which is of extremely simpliied design, whereby the same may be con'- structed at a materially reduced cost.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of an improved machine of the character described having a reciprocally mounted carriage having a plurality of spaced partitions from which sheets are withdrawn and placed in a pile on a collecting table over which the carriage passes.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of an improved collating machine which by reason of its efficiency in operation will permit the handling of a greater number of sheets per hour. i

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved collating machine having jogging mechanism operable on the pile of collected sheets whereby they are deposited in a neat stack upon a collecting table which is automatically lowered as the sheets accumulate thereon.

A still further object of this invention resides in the provision of an improved collating machine of the character described which is of double construction whereby a single machine handles two separate collating means.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so fandevlsed for the practical application of the prmciples thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a'collatlng machine embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a view, partly in plan and partly 1n horizontal section, illustratingr the drivibng or operating mechanism carriage mem- Figure 3 is a View, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, taken through Figure 1 on the plane of the line 3 3;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of lthe jogging mechanism, apart from the machine proper; v

Figure 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary detail view, partly in section and partly in elevation, illustrating the table lowering and jogger operating mechanism, and

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view, partly in sect-ion and partly 1n elevation, taken through the gear reduction. device on the plane of the line 6-6 vof Figure 5.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, 10 designates side main frame members preferably cast and connected by transverse tie rods 11 and an intermediate cast frame structure 12, the frame 12 having a central gear housing 13 formed thereon and provided with a concentric boss 14 in'which the end 15 of a stub shaft 16 is fixed by means of a jam nut 16 that portion of the shaft 16 above the boss 14 forming a journal for the inner end 17 of a crank arm 18 and on which a worm wheel 19, mounted within the housing 13, is fixed.

Rail members l2O are securedalong the upper edges of the side frame members 10 with their tops projected thereabove to provide tracks for the anged wheels 21 of the base frame 22 of a carriage member. The rails are secured to the frame members 10 by cap screws or other means 23 and have continuations 24 extending beyond the frame members, the extensions 24 having their inner ends bolted to the frame members by cap screws or other means 25 and their outer ends supported by standards or other supports 26,

a transverse tie rod 27 connecting the outer ends of adjacent extensions to maintain the` proper distance therebetween.

The frame 22 is preferably skeletonized, as best shown in Figures 2 and 3, and has a journal pin 28 centrally fixed to one cross beam 29thereof with which one end of a link or pitman 30 is connected, the other end 31 thereof being pivotally connected with the outer end 32 of the crank arm 17 whereby rotation thereof through the worm wheel 19 reciprocates the carriage member over the .tracks formed by the rails 20 and their extensions 24. The worm wheel obtains its drive from a worm 34, journaled inbearings 35 carried by the frame 13, which is fixed on a shaft 36 driven from a motor or other source of energy 37 by means of the conventional belt of the other and, therefore,

and pulleys 38, the motor 37 being prefer- .ably mounted on a platform 39 which has one en pivoted from one brace rod 11 so that the weight of the motor normally tends to maintain the belt taut. The drive shaft 36 prefably extends beyond one frame member 10 to mount awheel 40`for facilitating the movement of the parts by hand.

An open ended box like structure' 41 is mounted on the frame 22 and has a plurality of superimposed spaced shelves or partitions 42 therein with their ends extended beyond the adjacent end of ther box and stepped upwardly and inwardlyas best illustrated in Figure 1, the present embodiment .having series of shelvesv or partitions opening to opposite ends with a vertical partition 43 dividlng the box into two sections. The various partitions or shelves receive independent piles of leaves or sheets 44 which are adapted to be withdrawn therefrom and placed in proper order on a collecting table 45 mounted etween the extensions 24 at their outer ends.

Each table 45 is supported b four cables 46 connected therewith adjacen each corner, as at 47, and extended upwardly and over guide ulleys 48 mounted from the extension 24..` ach set of cables passes forwardly and have their ends wound on drums 49 fixed on a shaft 50 journaled in the` frame member 10,

' the shaft 50 having one end 51 extended beyond one frame member to receive a reduction mechanism, to be later described. As will be readily obvious by reference to Figure 1, each end of the machine is a duplicate the description of one table operating and jogger mechanism will suffice for both.

The extension 51 of the shaftl 50 has two gears 52 and 53 mounted thereon, the gear 52 being free thereon and the gear 53 keyed thereto, as at 54, and of less width and having one tooth less than the gear 5,2, for the reasons later described, and the extension is reduced in diameter outw-ardly of gear 52 and is journaled in a gear housing 55, the end thereof outwardly of the housin being squared, asat 56, to receive a han crank, not shown. The housing 55 has an eccentric bearing portion 57 in which a shaft '58 is pinned or otherwise secured, as at 59, the outer end "of said shaft being squared, as at 60, to receive a crank and the inner ,end thereof rotatably mounting a pinion gear 61 which meshes with both gears 52 and 53.

The gear 52 is normally held against rotation by a ratchet member 62 pivoted from the frame, as at 63, and having its outer toothed end 64 yieldably engaged with the teeth of the gear'f52 by an expansile spring 65 confined between the free end of the ratchet and a stop 66 secured to the frame 16.A An external ratchet gear 67 is formed on the gear housing 55 and is engaged by the end 68 of a ratchet dog 69 which imparts intermittent Vpassin rotary movement to the gearhousing 55, in a manner later described. The teeth of the gear 52 are slightly thinner than the teeth of the gear 53 due to the fact thatthe gear 52 has one tooth more than gear 53, and, conscquently, for each complete rotation of the gear housing 55 rotated, as will be readilyl apparent.

The combination ratchet and housing member 55 is intermitently advanced, as the carriage member reciprocates', by a lever 70 having a roller 71 on its u per end arranged in the path of a stop or trip member 72 depending from the frame 22.D The lever 70 is fixedto a shaft 73 on which a smaller lever 74 is fixed, lever 74 having a lateral projection 75 extended into the path of a second lever 76 free on the shaft 73 and with which the inner end of dog 69 ispivotally connected, as at 77, lever 76 beingnormally retracted to the left with reference to Figure -5 by a contractile spring 78 having one end fixedto the adjacent rail 24 and its other end fixed to the lever, j

as at 79. i,

' The relative positions of the trip 72 and the roller 71 of lever 70 are such that when the carriage member reaches its limit of movement at the right with reference to Figures 1 and 5., the lever 76 is moved against its spring 78, through the medium of the lever 74,

advancing the ratchet\member 67 and consequently rotating the housing 55 one tooth. In this manner the table 45 is lowered one step each complete reciprocation of the carriage member, this step being extremely slight due to thelarge reduction obtained .through the gearing above described.

Suitable jogging mechanism is mounted over each table 45 so that as the sheets are placed thereon in a pile, as indicated at 80, they are jogged to align with the remainder of the pile, the jogging mechanism consisting of a plurality of jogger plates or paddles i 81 engageable with. all sides of the sheets. The shaft 73 extends across the width of the machine `and has a level 82 fixed thereto adjacent each end with which one end of a rod 83 is pivoted, as at 84, the other end of the rod being guided in a block 85 fixed to the adjacent rail 24. One end of the cable 86 is connected with, the rod 83, as atv 87, the cable from t end and vbeing connected, as at 89, with a lonover a guide pulley 88 supported e adjacent rail 24 .adjacent its outer,

git-udinauy Shiaabie rod 9o guided at its inner end in a block 91 supported from the lshaft 27 and at its outer end in a bearing 92 cent their inner ends to which the cables 85 are secured and to which the ends of a contractile spring 94 are securedso that the rods 90 are normally urged toward each other.

Fixed to each rod 90 is a supporting block 95 having its upper end guided from the shaft 27, as at 96, and from which a rod 97 extendsv inwardly to adjustably mount one vof the jogger plates 8-1, there being a jogger plate also ixed to the guide blocks 91, as best shown in Figure 4.' A rodor shaft 98 mounting another of the jogger plates 81 has its ends adjustably connected with the rods 83, as at 99, so that rotation of the shaft 73 simultaneously moves all the j ogger plates with the exception of the one xed to the bearing blocks 91.l The blocks 91 being adjustably fixed to the shafts 490 and the rod 98 being adjustably.

secured to the shafts 83 permit ready adjust- ,ment of the joggerl plates to conform with l.v iso any size of work being handled, the inward movement of the jogger plates being controlled by stops 100 on the shafts 83 abutting the guides 85. 1

Consequently, .as the carriage member moves to the left with reference to Figure 1, the jogger plates close on the stack or pile 80 and as it advances toits position illustrated in Figure 1 and the table lowering mechanism is operated as previously described and the jogger, plates opened against the spring 94 so that when the carriage lmember again moves toward the pile andthe trip 72 frees the end of the'shaft 73, the spring 94 moves the jogger` plates against the edges of Nthe pile jogging the sheets recently placed thereon into line.

The table lowering mechanism vis capable of being readily rendered inoperative by a rod 101 slidably mounted at 102 and having a hand engaging knob 103 so that its end 104 may be extended to engage the upper end 105 of the lever 76 and'prevent retrograde move- `ment thereof, as will be readily apparent.

The rear end of the rod 101 is cut away, as at 106, to form a shoulder 107 which drops over the rearmost guide 102, as best shown in Figure 5, when the rod is moved inwardly, to reen-der the table lowering mechanism inoperatlve, the mechanism being rendered operative by the simple expedient of lifting the rear end of the rod to disengage the shoulder 107 and moving it rearwardly to its position illustrated in Figure l. There is a control mechanism similar to that described for each table lowering mechanism and the numerals 'applied to one are applied to both.

i In practice, the machine is constructed either asl illustrated with two complete duplicate mechanisms'operative from a single carriage member so that double capacity can be obtained, or one complete table and track eX- tension can vbe dispensed with and but one series or set of shelves or partitions 44 mounted on the frame 22 which may then be shortened one-'half of its length, as will be readily apparent In operatlon, one or more operators stand at one end 'of themachine, or at bothends, should both sides be handling work,

and as the carriage member reaches its outermost limit of movement over a table 45,-the topmost sheets of the trays are held by the operator and as the carriage member retract-s, the sheets are withdrawn from thejpiles on the shelves, the operator allowing them to drop onto the stack or 'pile 80 where they are jogged into line and the table automatically lowered to accommodate the increased height of the pile, as above described l WhatI claim as my invention is:

mounted carriage,A a plurality of sheet lsupporting means on the carriage, a work receiving table mounted adjacent one limit of move- 1. In a collating machine, a reciprocallyAv ment of thel carriage, the sheets being deposited on the work table,.means for automatically lowering the table a predetermined degree each reciprocation of the carriage, and

jogging means operable on the sheets deposv fited.

2. In a collating machine, a pair of parallel supporting track members, a carriage member reciprocally mounted on the track members, two sets of sidewise spaced horizontal partitions mounted on the carriage member one at each end, and work supporting tables disposed between the other ends of the track' members and on which sheets are deposited as they are withdrawn from the adjacent partitions ofthe vcarriage member. u

3. In a` collating machine, a pair of parallel supporting .track members, a carriage memberreciprocally mounted on the track 'p members,\a plurality of sidewise spaced horizontal partitions mounted on the carriage member, a work supporting table disposed between the other ends of the track members and on which sheets are depositedas they are withdrawn `from the partitions of the carriage member, and means for jogging the sheets' deposited on the ltable whereby they accumulate thereon in an evenstack.

4. In a collating machine. a pair of parallel supporting track members, a carriage member reciprocally mounted on the track members, a plurality of sidewise spaced horil zontal partitions mounted on the carriage `member, a work supporting table disposed withdrawn from the -partitions of the car.

riage member, means for jogging the sheets deposited on the table whereby they accumulate thereon in an even stack, and means automatically lowering said table as the sheets accumulate thereon. n

5. In a collating machine, a frame structure, a carriage -reciprocally mounted on the frame structure for movement in a straight fline between two.limits, a drive member rotatably mounted centrally of the frame structure, a crank armcarried by the drive member, a pitman connecting the outer end f the crank arm with the carriage whereby rotation of the drive member reciproca-tes the carriage, a work supporting table over which the carriage extends at one limit' of movement, and a plurality of spaced sheet receiving partitions on the carriage, whereby the top sheet of each partition is grasped by an operatoras the carriage reaches its position over the work table to be retracted and dropped by the operator onto lthe table as the carriage moves to its other limit.

6. In a collating machine, a frame structure, a. carriage reciprocally mounted on the frame structure for movement in a straight line' between two limits, a drive member 10- tatably mounted centrally of the frame structure, aI crank arm carried by the drive member, a pitman connecting the outer end of the crank arm with the carriage whereby r0- tation of the drive member reciprocates the carriage, a work supporting table over which the carriage extends at one limit of movement, a plurality of spaced sheet receiving partitions on the carriage whereby the top sheet of 4each partition is grasped by an operator as the carriage reaches its position over the work table to be retracted and dropped by theoperator onto the table as the carriage moves to its other limit, and means operable as the carriage approaches one limitof movement to lower the table a predeterf able to jog the sheets deposited on the tables.

mined degree.

7. In a collating machine, a frame structure, a carriage reciprocally mounted on the frame structure for movement in a straight lineL between two limits, a drive member roon the carriage wherebv the topmost of a plurality of sheets on each partition may be grasped by an operator as the carriage reaches its position over the work t-able to be retracted and dropped by the operator onto the table as the carriage moves to its other limit, means operable as the carriage a proaches one limit of movement to lower t e table a predetermined degree, and means operable to jog the sheets deposited on the table` into line withone another.

8. In a collatingfmachine, a' frame structure, a carriage reciprocally mounted on the frame structure for movement in a straight line between two limits,a drive member rotatably mounted centrally of the frame structure; a crank arm carried by thejdrive member, a pitman connecting the outer end of the crank arm with the carriage whereby rotation of the-drive member reciprocates the carriage, a work supporting table mounted adjacent each end of the frame structure and over which the carriage alternately extends at its limits of movement, a series of spaced sheet receiving partitions carried by the carriage at each end whereby the topmost of a plurality of sheets on each partition may be grasped by an operator as the carriage reaches its position over the adjacent work table and retracted as the carriage moves toward the other table and dropped by the operator onto the adjacent table, means operable automatically lto lower the tables as the sheets accumulate thereon, and means oper- In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

ELMER W. BELLUCHE'. 

